This invention relates to a liquid candle lamp and in particular, to a liquid candle lamp that includes a fuel cell for maximizing the quantity of fuel that can be stored within the lamp.
A liquid candle lamp is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,695 which includes a hollow reservoir base capable of holding a quantity of a combustible fuel. A chimney is supported upon the reservoir and surrounds a burner which forms an integral part of the base. The base has a screw on cap that permits fuel stored in the base to be replenished. By making the entire base a fuel reservoir, a maximum amount of fuel can be stored in the lamp. The same combination of a base and fuel cell is found in many older oil burning lamps as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,042,656 and 888,139.
A new line of liquid candle table lamps have been devised which utilize a disposable liquid fuel cell. This type of disposable fuel cell is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,530 to Menter et al. The cell includes a straight walled cylindrical shaped container that is closed and sealed by a lid. A burner unit is mounted in the lid which wick is adapted to draw fuel from the container to a burning zone. In assembly, the fuel cell is inserted into a receiving opening formed in the base of the lamp and a chimney is seated upon the base over the cell. The chimney typically includes a dependent cylindrical skirt that is slipped downwardly into the opening around the container.
Although the disposable fuel cell described in the Menter et al. patent provides more than forty hours of continuous burning time, the users of lamps employing these types of cells are still looking for greater cell life. Although larger cells can be constructed, they will not be compatible with existing lamps and, more importantly, the bases required to accept the large cells have to be overly large and aesthetically unattractive.